TV Tuesday: Streaming Services

[yourlibrarian]

If you could create your own TV streaming service, what would you have on it? What do you think the best elements are of the services you've used?

Comments

[luckyzukky]

i kind of already have to be honest lol... i have a plex media server! (and now a jellyfin server as backup as of last night for fellow nerds). i think plex gives me a lot of control and so far jellyfin gives me even more, which i really appreciate. it's a lot of fun.

[yourlibrarian]

Could you tell us a bit more about how that works?

[luckyzukky]

it's self hosted server software, you host it on your own hardware (like a spare computer that you dedicate to server stuff or just on your own pc if you're not super dedicated to it) and then load it up with media (obtained legally through ripping physical media or... other means! lol). i have some info here that provides some context about plex though in a nerdy way, just take a look at the screenshots! it essentially functions like your own netflix and it's awesome

[yourlibrarian]

Huh! I'd heard of Plex but just thought it was another streamer. You're right that it certainly gets you a long way to your own streamer 😉

[yourlibrarian]

One thing that would be nice to have on a streamer would be something like 2 free "a la carte" options per month. For example, having just rotated onto Amazon, it's annoying to have mixed into the list of titles stuff that isn't actually available. Instead they are just promotions for either a purchase, rental, or susbscription to some other service. Apple does this too but I find that it's much easier to just separate out their own offerings and stick to that.

So if a service going to do that, I think it would be great to be able to get a few titles each month that they don't actually own. I think it could even be cost effective for them. For example, a movie title might not give them much, but if instead one was trying out 2 episodes of a TV show and liked them, one might then sign up to that service which would give a kickback to the original streamer. And it would probably increase loyalty to the original streamer because one might be less likely to unsubscribe in order to switch services.

I know that Netflix is trying to get fans engaged with their original shows through additional options to get info and such (as well as in-person events). But I could see streamers being gateways to fan communities and channels too.

[jo]

I just want better user interfaces. They're all so clunky. Maybe they work better if you use them on a computer, but I don't watch stuff on my computer. The TV app interfaces are, for the most part, shit to navigate using a remote control. Netflix was the best because at least I could use my Samsung TV's smart remote and just point and click at things like you do with a mouse. But that remote didn't work with the other services (Prime, Apple), so I have to navigate using the arrow buttons on the main remote and blergh. Shit shouldn't be that difficult/stupid in 2024.

[alchemicink]

That's such a good point! For example, I watch stuff on Tubi on my phone a lot and don't really have a problem navigating around to what I want to watch. But pulling Tubi up on a TV is a whole lot more tedious, especially when you're using the arrow buttons on the remote for typing in titles to search.

[alchemicink]

Ideally, I'd just want a streaming service that would let me watch all the Japanese TV shows I wanted 😂 not just anime but dramas and variety shows too. I watched a lot in college (when they were easier for me to find) and they were so entertaining (and good language practice/cultural study)

Actually, maybe I'd like a streaming service that lets me watch any kind of TV from all around the world 😁

[yourlibrarian]

That would be awesome! I know that at least there are more possibilities now than there used to be. Even with cable offerings there was no guarantee one's local cable provider would carry a particular network. I still remember having to have a relative send me tapes of BSG because we didn't get the SyFy network for a while. At least now it's possible to have streamers cater to particular content.

[egret]

I was going to be so happy with Paramount+ as "all Star Trek all the time" - that is really the service I want. But of course they had to screw it up by taking away shows and movies that should be there. :(

Do I ask for too much? I'm resorting to just buying the DVDs. Then I won't need any subscriptions at all.

[yourlibrarian]

Given what's been happening with streaming services, it makes me wonder if DVD sales are up.

[delphi]

I feel like if we've ended up in this situation where there's only a very small number of media giants, I should at least get streaming services from them that have their entire catalogues in perpetuity. Everything they own the rights to needs to be available - with any commentary tracks and extra features that were previously created for DVD releases! Or at least, more realistically, it would be nice to see commentary tracks return for things produced for streaming.

It would also be really cool to have an LGBTQ streaming service that not just spotlighted indie films and produced some originals (which there are services that do already) but actually had the money to also license all of the mainstream classics.

[yourlibrarian]

That's so true about commentary tracks! I noticed that on Disney+ they have a field for "extras" and sometimes have featurettes and so on that you'd normally find on a DVD. But I don't think I've run across any commentary versions, even though on places like Netflix that give you various subtitle or audio track options, it would be easy enough to do.

[delphi]

I'm guessing that repeat views of the same thing aren't really monetizable under streaming except for in a couple limited circumstances, but it would be nice! I almost wore out my Futurama, Simpsons, and Venture Bros. DVDs back in the day because they had such fun and funny commentaries that rewatching a season once inevitably became rewatching a season twice.

[feurioo]

It would have a lot of different international shows on it because I'd love to watch some New Zealand, Australian, or Belgian shows that are simply not available over here. This would include the option to watch them in their original language because I hate German dubbing.

My streaming service would also have several '80s and '90s movies and shows on it that I can't find anywhere. Additional emphasis on horror movies because it's an outright crime that I can't find the original Candyman (1992) or Stephen King's Christine on any streaming service for free. I know that Prime has an extra horror channel but its offerings are incredibly disappointing to me. If I pay for it, I expect some absolute horror gems and cult classics, not mainly bargain-bin horror titles.

Also, give me GBBO and similarly soothing baking/cooking/whatever contests.

[yourlibrarian]

I am amused by the gradient running from GBBO to horror movies 😄